Who: Penny and Hal Taylor of Greenwood Village and Bhutanese school children
Where: Gangtey Goenpa
Best meal: The prix fixe ($38 for three-courses) at the Uma Paro Hotel in Paro. The atmosphere is sublime, and the dining room is lovely. Avoid the wine (too expensive) and have beer instead. This hotel was quite expensive, but well worth it at the end of the trip. They also have a copy of the largest book in the world (original is in the library in Thimpu). The book is 5 feet by 7 feet and consists of photos of life in Bhutan. The two-hour hike up the mountain to the famous “Tiger’s Nest” Monastery should not be missed.
Best deal: The Bhutan Kitchen in Thimpu has only Bhutanese food and is lively and inexpensive. Also, you must have a guide to visit Bhutan. Our guide and driver were wonderful and made the trip what it was. We organized our trip with Steve Webster (Escape2Nepal.com) or you can go direct to Boonserm Tours and Travel (explorebhutan.com.bt)
Best time to go: October or May (beautiful, sunny days and cold nights, like Colorado).
Best travel tip: Take socks, a flashlight (some hotels shut off electricity at night), lots of cash and credit cards (there are no ATMs in Bhutan).
